Grain-Free Holiday Dog Treat Recipes

Dogs are omnivores, and they benefit from vegetables just as much as the rest of us. And what better time of year to incorporate colorful fruits and veggies into their diets? Beets, spinach, and other nutritional powerhouses take center stage in these gluten-free and grain-free holiday dog treat recipes. You’ll also find healthy supporting ingredients like coconut oil, which can help your dog maintain a shiny coat and dewy skin through the dry winter months.

Dying to bake doggy treats, but don’t have a buddy to share them with? Try one of these grain-free recipes and bring the treats along on your first Meet & Greet as a Rover pet-sitter. You’ll score a new friend who will be happy to taste-test all your canine concoctions.

Be sure to use doggy-safe peanut butter, free of any added sweeteners. Xylitol is toxic to dogs, so read labels carefully!

Beet-nut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

¼ cup pureed beets

½ cup peanut butter

1 egg

2 Tbsp. tapioca flour

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. If you’re starting with whole beets, roast them for 40 minutes, then purée.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Grease the baking sheet with coconut oil, then evenly space balls of dough on the tray. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes.

Green Nuggets

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, shredded

1 cup baby spinach, chopped

1 cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup peanut butter

4 eggs

¾ cup coconut flour

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Blend the pumpkin, peanut butter, and eggs thoroughly. Then add in the coconut flour slowly, mixing as you go. Finally, you can stir in the zucchini and spinach.

Knead and flatten the dough, shaping as desired at ¼” thickness. Bake for 20 minutes on a baking tray greased with coconut oil.

Baked Apples

Ingredients:

4 whole apples, Grannysmith or Red Delicious

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup peanut butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Scoop the tops out of the apples, and create a well within the apple. As you scoop, excavate very thoroughly for seeds: dogs can’t process out the toxins in apple seeds like people can, so they can be deadly for pups.

Mix the coconut oil and peanut butter, and add a quarter of the mixture to each apple. Bake for 15 minutes, and let cool before serving.

Your pet will be thrilled to try out these grain-free recipes during your celebrations. Dogs don’t need sugar, grains or other recipe-fillers that carry more nutritional liabilities than benefits. But the love and care that go into your baking, plus the vitamins and minerals found in your garden, will provide lots of benefits.

Traveling for the holidays? Be sure to find a trustworthy sitter through Rover.com, and leave behind a tin of holiday treats for your pet to enjoy.

This post was written by Nat Smith, Rover.com community member. Rover is the nation’s largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers.

Thanks so much for these recipes, Nat! I can’t wait to see what our Taffy thinks of these treats!

Due to the amount of comments from all of my wonderful readers, it is not always possible for me to respond to each one. However, I absolutely do read them all, and if you’d like to address something specific, or have a question for me, please don’t hesitate to email me at Kristen@theroadtodomestication.com. I will respond to your email as soon as possible! Thank you for visiting the blog!

These are all great grain free holiday treat for the dog. I will be making all of them but with be starting with the Beet-nut Butter Cookies. My sisters have dogs to so I will have to make the treats for them as well. Thanks for sharing the recipes.